“There are stories about people being buried in the basement. There are stories about a nun hanging herself,” said Interim Executive Director Sarah Kurfis, who has been with CAC for about a year. “I researched this all when I started and can’t find anything that’s historical on this, but a lot of people have stories.”

Kurfis attended a reunion for Mary Manse College graduates and many students from the school once housed in the building shared their stories, including one of a nun who sits in the balcony.

“Apparently they used to always see someone in the balcony, which some of the old residents had told me about as well,” Kurfis said.

To capitalize on the creepiness, CAC began offering ghost hunts with local ghost hunter Chris Bores earlier this year.

Kurfis connected with Bores after he rented the CAC auditorium to screen his documentary, “Pursuit of the Paranormal,” last year.

“He came in and was hunting around before his event and said we had activity here,” she said.

Kurfis asked Bores if he’d be interested in leading ghost hunt tours at CAC and he agreed. He has done about one a month since spring and CAC now plans to launch a full series of tours for the Halloween season.

To kick off the October hunts, Bores will offer a lecture Oct. 3 sharing tips and tricks for novice ghost hunters. Cost is $5.

“I’m going to talk about all the evidence we collected here, the tools we use and end by playing a video I got here, a 60-minute conversation edited to 15 minutes, where people will be able to see the interaction with one spirit,” he said.

Lecture attendees will get a coupon for $5 off one of CAC’s October ghost hunts. An optional ghost hunt will take place after the lecture from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Cost is $35.

“After that, it’s kind of a ghost hunting free for all,” she said. “We turn everybody loose in the building and they can do their own independent investigations. Some who are more novice ghost hunters will do the tour, poke around and leave. Others stay all the way up to the end.”

“The offices and rented studios are locked, but other than that it’s pretty wide open. It’s the first time the building has really been open to the public in the last five or six months. So we get a lot of people who come to the ghost hunt, I think, just to see the building and have tours, too.”

Kurfis said she knows ghost hunts aren’t “arty” but she feels they fit CAC’s new mission “to provide an outlet for creative community involvement while preserving a historic space.”

Money raised by the ghost tours currently goes to basic operating costs, but Kurfis hopes it will soon be able to go toward capital improvements to save the building.

“We’re in a lot better position than we were even a year ago or a few months ago, but we’re still digging ourselves out of a hole caused by mismanagement,” Kurfis said.

“One of the tours reported walking across the stage and hearing somebody walking behind them. One of our staff members is taking credit for that. He said he went around the building and told the ghosts to be really active because we’re trying to save the building. He said, ‘If you’re here, we need you to be really super creepy tonight.’”

Bores, a Sandusky native who now lives in Toledo, said his favorite place to investigate at CAC is the former nuns’ living quarters on the fourth floor.

“I’ve gotten EVT (electronic voice phenomenon) there, voices you don’t hear at the time of the recording but when you play it back, you will hear it,” Bores said. “I was in one of the nuns’ rooms asking what year it was and this older woman, as if very perturbed by my question, just said ‘Jesus.’ Like she was really annoyed by the question.”

Bores also said he’s been “attacked” in the basement by “something more malevolent.”

“The meter spiked dark red, which means a lot of energy, and I felt a weird tingly sensation at the back of my neck, like needles. Very discomforting,” Bores said. “The only reason that happened was I was kind of provoking it. It told me to get out and I said, ‘Make a noise and I’ll leave.’ It got to the point where I said, ‘OK, we’re leaving.’”

Bores said he first got into paranormal investigations about seven years ago, his interest sparked by the TV show “Ghost Hunters.” He specializes in “spirit communication.” He formed a paranormal team called Haunted Investigators in 2006 and gained a YouTube following. His 2013 documentary, “Pursuit of the Paranormal,” includes a 90-minute conversation with a spirit at the St. Augustine Lighthouse in Florida, among the most well-known haunted places in the U.S., Bores said.

Bores said he’s been ghost hunting at Collingwood Arts Center all winter and was able to talk to all the residents before freezing temperatures and outdated heating and electrical systems forced an end to the residency program in February.

“It seemed like all of them had something weird happen to them,” Bores said. “One guy said he was cleaning up and closing some of the doors in the building and a voice from the other side of the door said, ‘Get out.’ I haven’t had anything like that happen, but I have heard voices, like someone talking at the end of a corridor and you run down there and there’s no one there and it stops.

“Some nights are very quiet, some nights are crazy,” Bores said of the tours. “I just hope they have a good time.”

Pat Tansey, CAC founder and longtime unofficial building caretaker, said he’s also had a few unsettling experiences over the years, especially in the early 1980s after the nuns moved out.

“In the early years I was pretty much alone, trying to make things work here,” Tansey said. “Being in a building this big all alone, you heard every noise, creak, crack. I might be on the stage alone at night trying to build a platform for a choral performance or graduation ceremony and the lights would be on on the stage but not in the auditorium.

“You know how you sometimes look around because you feel like someone’s watching you? That happened to me four or five times. I’d turn the lights on and there’d be nothing there. But pretty soon I’d have that hair-raising feeling on the back of my neck.

“I don’t know if there’s any truth to it. It’s like the people who say they saw UFOs and no one believes them, but to me that was real.”

Private ghost hunt rentals of the CAC are also available. Cost is $350 for the first five hours and $50 for each additional hour.

On Aug. 4 evening a group of dedicated golfers took a break from the Ohio Senior Amateur Hall of Fame Tournament at Plum Brook Country Club in Sandusky to honor four of the best golfers Ohio has ever produced.

Fred Altvater

Three members of the class of 2014 have Toledo roots. Alan Fadel has been one of the best golfers in the Toledo area for decades and has won 11 Inverness Club Championships. John Cook was born in Toledo and has had a very successful amateur and professional golf career. Frank Stranahan was a legendary golfer throughout the 1940s and 1950s, second only in amateur status to the incomparable Bobby Jones.

Stranahan was a lifelong resident of Toledo and member of the Inverness Club. While a junior golfer, he received instruction from Inverness Club head professional, Byron Nelson.

Stranahan, heir to the Champion Spark Plug fortune, remained an amateur golfer his entire career. Although he never won the U.S. Amateur, he finished runner-up in 1950. He won the British Amateur Championship in 1948 and 1950, when they were still considered major championships.

He finished runner-up in the 1947 Masters, as well as, the 1947 and 1953 British Open Championships. The “Toledo Strongman” added a top-10 finish in the 1958 U.S. Open.

He was one of the original devotees of physical fitness and even mentored Gary Player.

In all, he won a total of 26 amateur events and appeared on three Walker Cup Teams.

Playing as an amateur, he also won six tournaments on the PGA Tour from 1945-1958 and added three Ohio Open trophies to his mantle.

Stranahan, having retired to Florida, traveled to Toledo for the 2003 U.S. Senior Open held at the Inverness Club. While he stood at the back of the practice range intently watching the competitors hit balls, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer interrupted their warm-up routines to shake hands and reminisce with one of the greatest amateur golfers of all time.

Alan Fadel is a resident of Sylvania and a long-time member of Inverness.

Upon graduation from the University of South Florida, he joined the PGA Tour, spent some time as an assistant professional at Oak Hill in Rochester, New York, and was a teaching professional at Canterbury Golf Club in Cleveland.

He was reinstated as an amateur in 1987 and won the 1989 and 1999 Ohio Mid-Amateur Championships. He also added an Ohio Amateur Championship in 1995.

He qualified for three U.S. Senior Opens, finished inside the Top 10 in the British Senior Amateur on two separate occasions and is a past winner of the Ohio Senior Amateur Hall of Fame Championship

Fadel has been very active in the promotion of golf throughout the state and has served on several boards of golf related organizations.

The third inductee with Toledo ties is John Cook. Cook was born in Toledo before his father took a job with Firestone and moved the family to Akron’s Firestone Country Club.

Cook eventually ended up in southern California and honed his skills under the tutelage of Ken Venturi.

Cook was a standout on the Ohio State University golf team which won the 1979 NCAA Championship.

He also won the 1978 U.S. Amateur and finished runner-up to Mark O’Meara in the 1979 U.S. Amateur. He won six other prestigious amateur tournaments and turned professional in 1979.

Cook won 11 titles on the PGA Tour in a 30-year career. He spent time in the top-10 in the world golf rankings and was a member of the 1993 U.S. Ryder Cup Team.

He has added eight more wins on the Champions Tour and has finished inside the Top 10 on the Champions Tour money list every year since 2008.

Cook is a Buckeye through and through and is very deserving of his selection for the Ohio Golf Hall of Fame.

The fourth member of the 2014 Ohio Golf Hall of Fame class is Don Nist, who grew up in the Massillon, Ohio, area and played his college golf at Ohio State.

Nist has won numerous amateur events in northeastern Ohio. In addition, he won the 1957, 1965 and 1972 Ohio Public Links Championships, qualified for the two U.S. Senior Opens and three U.S. Senior Amateur Championships.

Nist has also over-achieved off the golf course, serving one term in the Ohio House of Representatives.

The Ohio Golf Hall of Fame includes some very big names in the world of golf and the gentlemen added to that illustrious club this year reinforce the traits of sportsmanship and success that every golfer strives to attain.

Fred Altvater offers golf tips and videos at www.toledoohiogolflessons.com. Email him at BackNine@toledofree press.com or follow him on Twitter @tolohgolfr.

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PROJECT EDITOR'S STATEMENT

Finney: Doing better in Toledo

Imagine feeling bewildered by the phrase “Mud Hens,” suspecting that Cedar Point must be a popular nearby forest and asking someone to please spell “Tony Packo’s.” I spent my first couple of weeks in Toledo feeling just that way: an outsider yanked from my north Idaho roots and dropped in the heart of the Glass City. And I wasn’t confident that I would do well here.

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Toledo perplexes newcomers. Its cultural pulse thrives off contrasts: ancient buildings and grandiose construction endeavors, a vibrant arts scene and an underdeveloped downtown. Its natives embark on a consistent Toledo-shaming campaign, insisting that the city is simply boring, yet share an “I’d never permanently leave the Lake Erie region” attitude.

Let me humbly suggest that there’s a reason so many of you eventually come back to Toledo, if you ever leave at all. The opportunity to compile this year’s “101 ways to spend 101 days in Northwest Ohio” special issue made it evident to me that the Lake Erie region has a whole lot more to offer than many of its own residents realize.

As a disclaimer, this list does not attempt to provide an exhaustive account of every activity in the region, or even most activities. It could easily be doubled or tripled, and serious points of interest would still be omitted. For a sample of the region’s bustle, just look at July. In addition to all of its ongoing activities, some upcoming events include several live music concerts, an African-American festival, the Glass City Rollers’ first away bout and the Toast of Ohio Wine Festival at the Merry-Go-Round Museum in Sandusky.

Local life

I chose this particular 101 with the intention of accurately capturing a snapshot of local life. The list does attempt to give voice to a diverse litany of interests so that thrill-seekers and nature-lovers alike will discover some new prospect worth trying. It has no particular order or ranking system and groups each of the 101 ways in a category for ease of reading.

Before you naysay it, read it. I am amazed at the flurry of fun going on around us: networking events like Instameet and EPIC Toledo Lunch n Leads, drive-in movies, frequent festivals and fairs, a whole host of historical sites and physical fitness studios … at least 101 ways to make you wish you were here.

Speaking of fun, I recently enjoyed meeting Toledoan Jenn Wenzke (her So Now luncheons are featured as No. 71 on the “101 ways” list). She’s a dynamic force with an optimistic outlook on life despite having been diagnosed with a disease that often kills its victims in less than five years. When I wrote her story for this week’s issue, and thought about it more deeply during the entire “101 ways” compilation process, I felt truly inspired by the way she looks at every idea as a new possibility, an opportunity to become a well-rounded human being.

We could all benefit from approaching life that way. Adopt a possibility-oriented perspective when we meet new people and square new ideas with our own principles and preferences. At worst, life would be more interesting and the daily grind more magical. At best, our entire lives would be saturated with curiosity, adventure, knowledge and happiness. Either way, we’d be doing better.

For what it is

During my first week of work for Toledo Free Press, I noticed a sign in the office that read “You will do better in Toledo.” I took it for granted, maybe even thought it seemed silly or trite. However, somewhere between living here, talking to Wenzke and finishing the final list, I have grown to love Toledo for what it is.

One of those signs is now displayed in my home. It serves as a visible reminder of the possibility-oriented perspective that Wenzke embodies, Toledo needs and I try to emulate when I read through “101 ways.” I hope you try it, too.

Toledo Free Press Staff Writer and Hillsdale College student Jordan Finney is project editor for “101 ways to spend 101 days in Northwest Ohio.” Email her at jfinney@toledofreepress.com.

What’s missing from “101 ways to spend 101 days in Northwest Ohio”? What should be included next year? Post your suggestions on our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/toledofreepress) or email us at letters@toledofreepress.com.

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LAST ALARM

Community mourns loss of two Toledo firefighters

Pvt. Stephen Machcinski and Pvt. James Dickman loved the job that cost them their lives.

That fact, repeated by nearly everyone who knew them, is giving their families, friends and vast community of fellow firefighters a small measure of solace as they grapple with the loss of two of their own.

Stephen Machcinski

Dickman, 31, who went by Jamie, was bubbly and quick to smile with everyone he met, while Machcinski, 42, who went by Steve, seemed quiet and reserved — until he found his comfort zone. Dickman was married with two young children, including a son born on Christmas Eve; Machcinski was a lifelong bachelor, whose brother is also a firefighter. Machcinski had served with Toledo Fire Department (TFD) for 15 years, Dickman for only five months. But while Dickman was new to Toledo, he was not new to firefighting. It had been his career for the past 10 years in Perkins Township.

‘Mayday’

The two men died Jan. 26 at Mercy St. Vincent Hospital from injuries sustained while fighting a two-story, six-unit apartment building blaze at 528 Magnolia St. in North Toledo. “Rapidly deteriorating conditions” led to the deaths, said TFD Chief Luis Santiago, but the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

James Dickman

Not long after firefighters arrived on scene, a mayday was called. “Get out of the structure. Let’s take a defensive approach,” a commander can be heard saying on an audio recording of radio chatter. A short time later: “Do you have the firefighters with you?” The response: “Negative. They are missing.” Minutes later, another exchange, asking if everyone is accounted for. “I have no accountability on two members from Engine 3,” came the reply.

Santiago said he arrived on scene as one of the men was being pulled from the structure by fellow firefighters; the other was pulled out shortly after.

“We’re all trained to maintain our professionalism and our composure in things like this. As far as the folks on scene, they did a spectacular job along those lines,” Santiago said. “But the gravity of all this, it’s going to take some days.”

Lt. Daniel Brown-Martinez of Engine 11 was off Jan. 26, but a fellow firefighter called to ask if he’d heard about trouble on scene at the Magnolia Street fire. It wasn’t hearing that a mayday had been called that sent a chill through Brown-Martinez; it was the mayday combined with the word “missing.”

“A mayday is an emergency call: ‘I’m in a bad situation; I need help,’” said Brown-Martinez, a 13-year veteran of TFD. “It’s actually not uncommon to hear them, but our guys are damn good and trained very well. They go in, they execute it and they are able to rescue our own. I knew it was bad when they said two firefighters were missing.”

The first thing that comes to mind in such a situation is air supply, Brown-Martinez said.

“The first thing you think about is time,” he said. “You want to know how much time has passed since they were last seen, when they engaged in tactics and where they are now. So when I heard they were missing and then I heard the times from when they were missing, I knew it was going to be bad.”

Santiago declined to comment on the specific conditions at the structure, how long the two firefighters were inside or where they were found, citing the ongoing investigation.

“There [were] transmissions that there was trouble because of rapidly deteriorating conditions and we had crews that were ready to go for just such an emergency and they were put into action and put into service and they accomplished what they were there to accomplish,” Santiago said at a news conference Jan. 27.

In an emergency situation, trained first responders enter what’s known as a sympathetic nervous response, Brown-Martinez said.

“Your adrenaline gets going and you get cocked and locked and you’re ready to effect whatever type of tactic or mission you have to do,” he said.

Toledo Free Press Photo By Michael Nemeth

Because of that, the grief and pain of a tragedy sometimes doesn’t fully hit a firefighter until much later, he said.

“It doesn’t happen until the event has closed and you actually have a chance to come down from that baseline and regain your composure and actually absorb anything that did happen, anything that could have happened. Did you do everything right? Did some things happen that were wrong?” Brown-Martinez said.

“You start to really think, ‘Damn, I lost two of my friends, two of my co-workers, two familiar faces. Could this happen again? Could it happen to another loved one that I have? Could this happen to me? What’s going to happen to my family when I’m gone?’ It really brings everything back down, brings you back down to Earth.”

Ongoing investigation

Autopsy results released Jan. 28 showed both Machcinski and Dickman died of thermal burns and exposure to carbon monoxide. The full coroner’s report, including the toxicology report, is expected in a few weeks, Santiago said.

Santiago declined to comment on whether the fire is suspected to be accidental or arson.

“There is so much investigation to still take place that the cause, we are very far from right now,” he said.

Among the agencies assisting the investigation are Toledo Police, the state fire marshal, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, FBI and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

Santiago said the firefighters who were at the scene that day will also be interviewed more thoroughly in coming days. The department had been giving them space to grieve before questioning them.

“It’s been a delicate balance because they are hurting. We’re all hurting,” Santiago said.

The two men are the 48th and 49th Toledo firefighters to die in the line of duty in TFD’s 177-year history, Santiago said.

Toledo lost two dedicated public servants, said Mayor D. Michael Collins, a retired Toledo police officer.

“The average person would run in the opposite direction than they do, but that is their profession and that is basically what they take in their oath of office to do,” Collins said. “We will get through this, but it’s not going to be a very easy situation and the holes in the hearts will not be fixed with any simple solutions.”

‘His calling’

Perkins Township Fire Department Chief Keith Wohlever said Dickman’s goal from the time he joined the Perkins department as a part-timer in 2003 was to be a member of a larger city’s fire department — a dream he realized in September when he joined TFD.

“He was a bubbly person,” Wohlever said. “He came to work every day with a smile on his face, happy to be here. He was always eager to do the job and looked forward to it. He loved the job, loved the profession. It was his calling and he did a great job at it. Everybody here is still trying to process everything and talk about it and rationalize it.”

Dickman was already making his mark in Toledo. Representatives from both departments recalled him as someone who was always trying to better himself.

“He was one of those people who was always striving for knowledge, always on the Internet, always reading, always trying to make himself a better person and a better firefighter,” Wohlever said.

Dickman was “the epitome of a fireman’s fireman,” said Brown-Martinez.

“He did all the training and everything on his own time to get here,” he said. “His mom spoke to us at the hospital. She said it was his dream job and he felt guilty, that he wished everyone went to work feeling the way he did going to work.”

“He absolutely loved what he did. This was his dream job, and I heard it more than once,” Santiago echoed during a news conference Jan. 27. “His true love and his true desire was to work for the Toledo Fire & Rescue Department and he was so impressed, he was so happy, with the structure it provided and the type of work it did, with the frequency that we do it. He was just so very excited to be doing what he was doing.”

‘My best friend’

Pvt. Keith Szenderski of Engine 3 was off Jan. 26 when a friend called to let him know two firefighters had been hurt on the scene of a fire.

“I don’t know who’s hurt or who’s in harm’s way. We have a bunch of new rookies. I don’t know if it’s one of them. I don’t know if it’s my best friend. I don’t know. Then I find out it’s my best friend,” Szenderski said, his voice cracking.

Szenderski and Machcinski met 15 years ago as members of the same TFD class and worked together at two different stations. They were pretty much inseparable, both on and off the job.

Whenever they worked together, they’d walk across the street to a gas station and blow a few bucks on scratch-off lottery tickets, never winning much of anything. After their shifts, they often hung out at Nick & Jimmy’s, sipping beers and talking sports. The week before Machcinski died, they gathered there with their classmates for a 15th class reunion.

One of their yearly traditions was going to the Mud Hens’ Opening Day game together. Sometimes Machcinski would bring a date; sometimes it was just the three of them: Machcinski , Szenderski and Szenderski’s wife. But they always went. Every year.

Except this year, Szenderski didn’t ask Machcinski about tickets. He just bought his own.

“This year I ordered tickets and didn’t call him. Which is odd because I always call him and ask if he wants some tickets. For the first time ever, I just ordered my tickets. And then Sunday …” Szenderski said, trailing off. “I don’t know why I didn’t call him. There’s no reason. I don’t know.”

Jan. 29 was the first shift back to work for many of the firefighters who responded to the Magnolia Street fire alongside Machcinski and Dickman. At Station 13 in East Toledo, where both men were based with Engine 3, the mood was subdued and somber.

“It’s surreal to be back here without him,” said Pvt. Keith Falls of Engine 13, a 25-year TFD veteran.

Falls smiled as he remembered how Machcinski used to tease him about his eating habits, scolding him from across the room whenever he heard him open a bag of chips.

“He was kind of a quiet guy I suppose, if you didn’t know him,” Falls said. “He would find a chair and watch the tube by himself. But personality-wise, he was a good one-of-the-guys type person. On this job you’ve got to be able to handle the kidding around or you don’t make it.”

Machcinski, a 1989 Whitmer High School graduate, later earned a degree in fire science from Owens Community College. He never married and had no children, but among the family he leaves to mourn is his older brother, Richard, a firefighter with the Fort Wayne Fire Department in Indiana.

It’s clear the Machcinski family is service-oriented, said Stacey Fleming, public information officer for the Fort Wayne department.

“Considering both are firefighters, obviously it’s in their blood,” she said.

Machcinski’s family has asked that donations be made to Dickman’s family instead.

“I can tell you that it’s easy to see the makeup of firefighter Machcinski and the work that he did and where it came from,” Santiago said of the family’s gesture. “That’s amazing. They understand that Steve, single, might not have the same challenges after his passing that the Dickman family has, so that’s very humbling even as someone on the periphery sees that. It pulls at your heart.”

Molly Dugan’s father Thomas Dugan worked with Machcinski at Station 13. Her father, a former president of Toledo Firefighters Local 92, died of cancer just months before her son, Tommy, was born.

“Probably the worst thing about losing my dad was that he just missed meeting his first grandchild by a few short months,” Dugan said. “My son got cheated big time. I wanted him to know all about his Papa. One way was by introducing him to my dad’s other family, the TFD.”

Machcinski always welcomed Molly and Tommy when they visited the station.

Investigators work at the site of the blaze at 528 Magnolia St. in North Toledo on Jan. 28. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Toledo Free Press Photo by Sarah Ottney

“He’d let Tommy explore and play with the equipment, even taking down the hose and turning it on for a very excited little boy to spray,” Dugan said. “At the end of our time we’d get to climb into the big, shiny rig and play with the lights and sirens before being taken on our own personal tour throughout the neighborhood. He not only made this little boy’s day, but mine as well. Steve was one of the kindest, sweetest souls I ever had the pleasure of knowing. I feel lucky to have been his friend.”

Santiago said Machcinski was “a great firefighter” and “a great member of our department.”

“They are both going to be a great, great loss to us,” Santiago said.

‘Jamie Boy’

Life was starting to fall into place for Dickman. He and his wife, also named Jamie, celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary this fall and had recently moved to Perrysburg. They have a 3-year-old daughter Paige and a newborn son, Grant James, born Christmas Eve.

The whole family is religious and one of the last moments they had together was a family prayer, according to John Adams, the pastor who married them in Sandusky.

“He kissed them all [good] night and got up to go to work on Sunday,” Adams said.

Dickman attended New Life Church for 10 years, Adams said.

“The first time I saw Jamie he came to an outdoor youth event,” Adams said. “At that time in his life, he really needed direction.”

More recently, Jamie was attending services and performing with the worship team at The Chapel in Sandusky before moving to the Toledo area.

It was at New Life that Dickman met Jamie Young, whose father Ray Young worked (and still does) for the Sandusky church as a staff pastor.

“I married them,” Adams said. “That was a funny thing. They are both Jamies spelled the same way. We called them ‘Jamie Boy’ and ‘Jamie Girl.’”

The pastor was shocked when he got the news that Jamie Boy had died.

“I received the call from his mother-in-law and she had just received the news and was on the way to Toledo,” Adams said. “That is one of the things that hits you like a truck. The first thing is disbelief. Then shock and then you don’t know how to respond.”

Adams works as a chaplain for law enforcement and emergency responders in the Sandusky area. He understands the stress that the families of these workers go through. But nothing prepares you for the news that a firefighter you know has perished.

“It is a high-risk career, but it serves people,” Adams said. “The stress that they go through, it is very difficult.”

Adams said faith can help, but it isn’t something that might be immediately comforting.

“Our faith doesn’t remove our pain, but if it is greater, you can get through it,” Adams said.

Julie Torrence has been with her sister, Jamie, since getting the news Jan. 26.

“It doesn’t feel real yet. It will take time to process,” Torrence said. “Maybe when we get through this week and we are left in the quiet with our thoughts and memories, then I think we will really be able to grieve. We will start to think about what life will be without him.”

A memorial message was placed at the Local 92 office on Washington Street. Toledo Free Press Photo Courtesy WSPD

Jamie has been a stay-at-home mom for the past year since taking a hiatus from teaching to be with her children. It is too early to say what she will do now that Jamie Boy is gone, Torrence said.

Dickman grew up in Sandusky and his wife grew up in Gibsonburg.

Jamie Girl’s dad was an educator in the Toledo area and then became a principal in Sandusky. Her family, especially her older brother, hung out with Dickman.

Jamie Boy attended Perkins High School and was also home-schooled. He graduated in 2000 and then attended EHOVE Fire Academy.

He was ambitious. While many firefighters make a career out of working at Perkins Township Fire Department, Dickman wanted to work in a bigger city. Perkins is a township of about 12,000 residents.

“He worked at Perkins because that is where he grew up; he had family members who had served with Perkins,” Torrence said. “He wanted to be in a bigger town and fighting bigger fires and setting bigger goals. He loved to fight fires. That made him feel like he could use all of his skills.

“Jamie was telling me that when they drove over the Veterans Glass City Skyway, Jamie Boy would say, ‘This is my city and these are my people.’

“This was a fresh start for them and everything was so exciting for them,” she said. “He instantly bonded with all the people in his class and his chief. He felt so excited to be here.”

Dickman wrote the motto adopted by his 2013 fire class, whose graduation ceremony will be held Feb. 7 without him: “We fight with courage. We stand with pride. We honor those who gave their lives.”

The family has been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support and efforts to raise money for Dickman’s family, even possibly to pay for his children’s college educations.

“It has been amazing. It has left us all speechless and so full of gratitude,” Torrence said. “We are blown away by the amount of people who care and are sending their kind thoughts.”

The peacemaker

Others who knew Dickman remembered him for his musical side. Rob Stein of Sandusky played with him in an alternative Christian rock band called Remembering Venice. The band, which has since disbanded, toured regionally and even opened for national acts like Skillet.

“Jamie came to us and knew we needed a bass player and he stepped up,” Stein said. He stayed four years.

Stein said Dickman loved firefighting, but would have loved to do music full time as a ministry.

“Jamie was all about music,” Stein said. “Even after he had left the band, he would do DJ stuff. He was all about crazy fun beats.”

Dickman was known for keeping the peace.

“If someone in the band was arguing or fighting, he would try to lighten the situation,” Stein said.

His musical influences were Led Zeppelin and Korn and he would sometimes put on black eyeliner when the band performed.

“He was the crazy guy of the bunch,” Stein said. “He would be totally separate from us and he would be going totally crazy.

“About 80 percent of the stuff on our album was influenced by Jamie,” he added. “A lot of the screaming and the heaviness of the songs is all Jamie.”

To help make sure Dickman’s family is cared for, Stein said Remembering Venice plans to reunite and put on a concert in Sandusky on March 14. The doors will open at 6 p.m. with tickets $10 per person. Lead singer Mel Burns is even coming up from Georgia for this one-time performance.

The band’s album, “The Beauty of Broken Things” can be downloaded on iTunes ­— a great way for his kids to hear their dad someday, Stein said.

‘Devastating’

Former Toledo Mayor Mike Bell, a retired TFD chief and state fire marshal, said the death of a firefighter is “the most devastating thing that can happen to a department.”

“It can take years to actually recover, where people start to feel OK,” Bell said. “The community of those who put their lives on the lines at a moment’s notice is very tightknit. When you lose somebody, it’s extremely devastating. They are all good guys and gals. The fact that they are prepared to do some good for people who they don’t even know, I think says a lot about them.”

Toledo Firefighters Museum Board President Robert Schwanzl, a retired TFD assistant chief and 40-year veteran of the department, was among the firefighters who responded to the 1961 Anthony Wayne Trail tanker fire that killed four firefighters. He said any fatal fire is an emotional experience, particularly when a child is killed. When it’s a fellow firefighter who dies, the hurt is compounded even further.

“When a fellow firefighter dies — you can’t describe the feeling people go through,” Schwanzl said. “It’s very disturbing. It’s upsetting. There are lots of questions.”

Return to work

A black cloth hangs over the frame of the Station 13 garage door through which Engine 3 left on a call, carrying two firefighters who would not return.

It was placed there by a fellow TFD firefighter three days after fire claimed the lives of Machcinski and Dickman.

Many firefighters find returning to work therapeutic, Santiago said.

“For some, it’s therapy; for some, it’s a way to get through this because knowing the two firefighters that we know, that we’ve lost, they wouldn’t want it any different,” Santiago said. “It might seem weird, but it is a bit therapeutic for us to just continue to do our job and continue to serve in the spirit they did.”

Collins said he’s ever mindful of the sacrifices of public servants and experienced “another one of those emotional ambushes” when he passed two TFD rigs on his way to work Jan. 28.

“I just had to stop and think for a second. They are doing exactly what brought the tragedies,” Collins said during a news conference that evening. “They are not doing it for reward and they are not doing it for prestige; they are doing it because that’s what they do and that is what their heart is all about. They are out there today giving that same measure of energy and giving that same measure of challenge and taking that same … risk that unfortunately brings us together this afternoon. I’m very mindful of that.”

‘We’re a family’

Firefighters are “a band of brothers and sisters,” Santiago said.

“We make ourselves available to each other and we’re there to help each other,” he said. “We’re a family, we’re a team.”

Santiago said he’s heard from fire chiefs all over the country, including the Prescott, Ariz., department that lost 19 firefighters to a June wildfire.

“There are a lot of people reaching out,” Santiago said. “From coast to coast. From Canada. From all over the place.”

A firefighters’ Mass was held Jan. 29 at the Historic Church of St. Patrick in Downtown Toledo. Another Mass is scheduled for Feb. 2.

Thousands of firefighters from across the country plus local, state and federal dignitaries planned to attend the “last alarm” memorial ceremony Jan. 30 at SeaGate Convention Centre in Downtown Toledo.

Santiago said the event will be humbling and “will help tremendously” in lifting up firefighters who have been struggling to process the loss.

“A lot of our own members haven’t seen things like this, so it will be a great help to a lot of us that are feeling the pain,” Santiago said. “We’ll be embracing and welcoming that support.”

Toledo Police Chief Lt. William Moton and his officers are also rallying around TFD.

“We work hand-in-hand with members of TFD and when tragedy strikes it affects us as well,” Moton said in a statement. “Even though there is plenty of good-natured ribbing between us, the safety forces in our city stand as one and we feel their pain and sorrow.”

Ohio Gov. John Kasich ordered flags be lowered to half-mast on all Lucas County buildings Jan. 27 as well as in Erie County on Jan. 31, the date of Dickman’s funeral in Sandusky, and in Lucas County on Feb. 1, the date of Machcinski’s funeral. The Ohio Statehouse and fire stations across Ohio plan to fly flags at half-mast Jan. 31 and Feb. 1.

Food deliveries

As thousands of people left messages of support via social media and changed their profile photos to a memorial icon, many area residents were prompted to look for more tangible ways to show their support.

The flag flies at half mast outside the Lucas County Court House on Jan. 30 in honor of the two Toledo firefighters killed in the line of duty on Jan. 26. Toledo Free Press Photo by Christie Materni

“I can’t really tell you how appreciative I am of the entire city,” Armstrong said. “[The firefighters] are just absolutely in awe.”

The potluck, originally intended to cover one week, has been extended until Feb. 7. Armstrong said she plans to organize a commemorative potluck on the 26th of each month and also include neighboring community fire stations.

Among those who have signed up to donate food is Dawn Tuite, whose Sylvania Township house was destroyed by a fire in November 2012.

“The community and schools of Sylvania gave and helped so much we were without words,” Tuite said. “It’s only right to give back to others during their time of loss be it from a fire, death or even financial hardships. I love paying it forward and encourage others to follow my lead.”

Brown-Martinez said the community support has been humbling.

“We haven’t had a response like this since 9/11,” he said. “It seems like the community is always calling us for support. Now, without us calling them, they came to our aid. It was just unreal. I’m just so appreciative.”

Among the options for monetary donations are The Dickman Family Memorial Fund through PNC Bank and Toledo Fire and Rescue Foundation via toledofirerescue.com.

Fallen heroes

Diane Miscannon was 10 years old when her father, TPD Officer William Miscannon, was shot and killed during a riot in 1970. Today she works with Hearts Behind the Badge, a support organization that serves TPD officers and family members in need. In support of TFD, the group is making red ribbons, which it handed out to all TFD stations and will also bring to all area memorial events.

Miscannon said when she heard the news of the two deaths, her first thoughts were of Dickman’s children.

“I feel for the children more than anyone else. They are too young. They don’t understand the whole thing. They can’t make sense of it,” Miscannon said.

Miscannon said her father’s death was difficult to process.

“It was just a big media circus,” she said. “Kids don’t understand the meaning of death and especially when they are 3 years old.”

Miscannon said it’s always a terrible shock when a police officer or firefighter is killed.

“You know that risk is there every day, but realistically you don’t believe it will happen to you or me,” she said. “It just shows the reality that you truly are putting your life on the line.”

For both families, everything will be a blur for a while and they will need time alone to process the loss and grieve, Miscannon said.

As Dickman’s children grow up without their father, she said it will be important to tell them stories.

“Always tell the children stories, always show them pictures,” Miscannon said. “As an adult, even to this day, the first thing I say to someone I meet who knew my father is, ‘Will you tell me a story about him?’ Sometimes I hear the same story over and over again, but I don’t care. It brings me closer to my dad.

“You’ve got to focus on the positive. I know that’s hard to do. But remind the children of their father and what a great hero he was and that he died doing the job he loved,” Miscannon said. “They need to know he died doing what he loved and that he died a hero. They both did.”

Marco’s continues to grow after 35 years in pizza business

Marco’s Pizza is celebrating 35 years in business by being recognized as the fastest growing pizza chain in the U.S., based on the number of stores opened since 2007.

“We’ve established ourselves as a leading franchise in the pizza business. It has resulted in exponential growth for our brand,” said Jack Butorac, CEO of Marco’s Pizza.

Marco’s Franchising LLC has experienced a 37 percent increase in revenue growth in 2012 and is on track to have 104 new locations for 2013. With more than 1,500 new franchisees signed, the Toledo-based pizza chain expects to double its size and quadruple its store count in the next five to seven years.

Dan O’Malley, vice president of tactical planning at Marco’s

Marco’s has 420 stores in 32 states, the Bahamas and Panama, and expects to top 500 stores by the end of 2014 by opening two to three stores per week. Marco’s Pizza recently ranked 11th in the “2012 Pizza Industry Top 100 Movers and Shakers” as compiled by PizzaMarketPlace.com.

Founded in 1978 by Italian-born Pasquale “Pat” Giammarco, the company has grown from its roots as a beloved Ohio brand to become nationally and internationally known. Giammarco still owns and operates the Marco’s stores in the Toledo area while serving as a mentor to the current management team led by Butorac, who bought the franchise in 2004.

Marco’s credits its fresh dough made daily in every store, fresh cheese that is never frozen and a secret pizza sauce recipe created by its Italian founder for its continued growth. Strong leadership and innovative marketing and operational strategies have driven the pizza franchise’s success in the marketplace, Butorac said.

The challenge of Marco’s growth is maintaining the consistency of its products, so customers get the same pizza in Atlanta or elsewhere that they would in Toledo, according to Dan O’Malley, vice president of tactical planning at Marco’s.

O’Malley said he always wanted to own his own business. After graduating from Bowling Green State University in 1994, he went to work for a Marco’s franchise owner in Sandusky.

O’Malley grew up in the Marco’s pizza business; he worked in almost every position, including delivery driver, pizza maker, dishwasher, oven cleaner and janitor, before moving into marketing and management.

“I wanted to learn the business so I worked every position with the intent to open my own store, which I did in Mentor-on-the-Lake outside Cleveland,” O’Malley said.

“I became interested in making more of a contribution so I started working for the corporate office as a franchise rep for the Cleveland area in late 2004. Since I knew Jack (Butorac) as a franchisee, it seemed like the perfect opportunity for me,” he said.

As director of franchise operations since 2011, O’Malley has been responsible for providing direction to the franchises’ representatives and area representative coordinators so that Marco’s franchise owners are best positioned to succeed.

O’Malley still operates the franchise in Mentor-on-the-Lake where he lives with his family. He said because he works a lot in the field, he could live almost anywhere so he works out of his office at home or at Marco’s headquarters in Toledo when he’s not traveling.

“The key is having the right people to operate the stores since Marco’s has the best product and franchise system. We look for people who can use those tools. Franchisees appreciate that I’m also a franchise owner and am protecting their interests,” O’Malley said.

He said the company sees substantial growth in the southeastern and central regions of the country for expansion in the next few years, including Georgia, Florida, Texas, North Carolina and South Carolina. Marco’s has 25 stores in the Atlanta area, and has opened stores in Colorado, Minnesota, South Dakota and New Jersey.

The chain recently opened stores in the San Francisco area and is looking to develop the Los Angeles area and other locations in California. O’Malley said some international interests have approached them about opening Marco’s franchises outside the U.S.

“We always want to talk to interested parties, whether they want to open one store or 100 stores,” he said.

For more information about franchise opportunities with Marco’s, visit www.marcos.com.

The company has expanded its menu for catering, which is “an emerging opportunity for us,” O’Malley said. “We’ve introduced Marco’s to a lot of new customers through the catering business.”

Another new development for Marco’s is opening stores with seating for eating on-site, especially in the South where there is more of a demand for it, O’Malley said.

“We get more positive feedback from customers than negative, mostly about the taste of the product,” he said.

O’Malley said that he’s always amazed at how many people originally from Toledo and Ohio recognize and welcome the Marco’s brand when new stores open in cities far from here.

EBE honorees reflect diverse business interests

Ed Beczynski is a staple in the Downtown Toledo restaurant scene. The owner of The Blarney Irish Pub, Focaccia’s Deli and Café Focaccia’s recently won a business excellence award from the Entrepreneurial & Business Excellence (EBE) Hall of Fame. An awards ceremony is set for Nov. 7.

Beczynski began his journey into the Downtown eatery business in 1996, when he opened Eddy B’s in the old Toledo Trust Building.

“Everybody thought I was crazy to be even looking Downtown, because at that time, everybody was moving out of Downtown,” Beczynski said. “There was really nothing going on, but I’ve always been passionate about cities and their downtowns, and decided that Downtown was where I was going to make a future.”

Eddy B’s was a breakfast and lunch staple for years, and in 2001, Beczynski opened Focaccia’s Deli in the HCR ManorCare building, followed by The Blarney Irish Pub at 601 Monroe St. in 2005.

Additionally, Beczynski expanded his Focaccia’s brand by opening Café Focaccia’s in the Hylant building last year. He’s also opened up the neighboring space to The Blarney as an event center, which hosts special parties and events.

“That space has been really great. Probably every weekend there’s something going on in there. It’s been a great addition to The Blarney.”

Beczynski said one of the secrets of his sustained success in Downtown Toledo is surrounding himself with the right people.

“There’s no CEOs or business owners that can do it on their own,” he said. “I have great management that has been around me — Barb Reese, who has been with me from day one with Eddy B’s, runs Focaccia’s, Café Focaccia’s and our catering division, and Bill Kline runs The Blarney and the Event Center. You have to have people like that.”

Beczynski said it is also important to have mentors to reach out to for advice from time to time.

“The big thing is just being surrounded by good people, and listening to them.”

Beczynski said he appreciates being honored by the EBE, although he never thought of himself as “that guy, getting the award.”

“I’ve just been a hard worker all my life, and never thought about that.”

Beczynski said he is looking to open a new Café Focaccia’s at One SeaGate in the near future, but admits that he may be nearing a self-imposed limit on the number of businesses he can run at one time.

“I think I’m done after that,” he said. “It’s just so busy all the time, and I think expanding yourself too much is a risk.”

Beczynski said his son Travis, who recently graduated from college, is interested in returning to Toledo to work with his father and his team.

Regardless of whether or not father and son decide to expand further, Beczynski is confident he will keep his roots secure in Downtown Toledo.

“I still love what I do. It’s a passion, and I love Toledo. That’s why I’m here. If you don’t love [what you do], you’re in trouble. There’s ups and downs in this business, and you’ve got to ride those highs, but be ready for the lows. If you don’t love it, those lows are really tough. If you’re not in it for the long haul and don’t love what you do, you’re wasting your time, because this is a tough business.”

BACK ROW From left, Danberry Co. CEO Lynn Fruth, VP of Brand Development Stan Rinda and President Dick Baker with a family that received help from the Danberry Treasure Chest: Aaron, Maddy and Ashley Smith. photo by photography by K. Dick

Dick Baker and Lynn Fruth are second-generation owners of The Danberry Co. Realtors, one of the largest realty companies in the Toledo area. As executive vice presidents, the pair gradually bought the company in the mid-1990s. With Toledo as its core market, Danberry does business in nine counties throughout Northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan.

Danberry is a real estate brokerage company serving residential, commercial and industrial clients. The company also provides its customers with options related to leasing, rentals and project management.

“We work on a consumer-based, agent-centered model that’s designed to meet our clients’ needs,” said Fruth, Danberry’s CEO. Baker, Danberry’s president, added, “We try to be a one-stop shop for our customers.”

“For example, we’re the leader in corporate moving.” Baker said. “So if you’re a company that is moving and your employees need to relocate, that’s where we come in. We also have a joint venture with Chicago Title for title insurance, and we work with Nationwide for homeowners insurance.”

The co-owners attribute Danberry’s position as a regional leader in the real estate industry to its focus on technological innovation.

“I think the one thing that has given Danberry a competitive advantage is technology. We’ve seen a shift in technology within the newest generation of customers. They’ve moved away from computers to mobile devices, and we expect them to become more mobile in the coming months,” Fruth said.

“If we stand still, market technology will pass us by,” Baker said. “You can’t design a real estate business for baby boomers and not listen to younger folks who also want to shop.”

To meet the demands of customers in their 20s and 30s, the demographic most likely to be looking at buying a home, Danberry has developed a mobile app which includes features that lets users name their real estate agent and look at properties for sale (even non-Danberry properties) in the area. The app also lets users see what properties recently sold for in their neighborhood.

“Even if someone isn’t actively in the market, they still want to know what’s going on in the neighborhood,” Baker said.

The company’s website, danberry.com, allows shoppers to create a profile based on their real estate preferences and receive notifications when a matching property goes on the market.

“We use a consultative approach, not a selling approach,” Fruth said. “People don’t want to be sold things; they want advisers to help them make informed decisions, and in real estate they want a company that’s meeting the market where the market is.”

Danberry’s approach appears to have a strong appeal with the buying public. According to the company, its website has received more visits than those of their top 10 competitors combined.

The Northwest Ohio community has made Danberry a leader in the real estate field, and the owners feel a need to give back to the community. For 19 years, they have exercised the value they place on social responsibility through the Danberry Treasure Chest, an emergency assistance fund that helps children with serious or chronic illnesses and their families in coordination with ProMedica Toledo Children’s Hospital.

In 2012, the fund raised more than $60,000 and helped almost 70 families.

Danberry’s success in the marketplace and the company’s involvement in the community were factors that led to its business excellence award in the EBE HOF.

“There’s no greater honor than to be recognized by fellow businesses for a job well done,” Fruth said.

— Kevin Moore

MAGNETNotes

Randall Boudouris

The concept for MAGNETNotes started in the 1990s, when CEO Randy Boudouris was asked to help invent a replacement for magnetic promotional pieces being used for advertising by Marco’s Pizza. He began searching for an innovative alternative, which ultimately brought him back to magnets, but with a brand-new design.

“It’s kind of ironic that I set out to invent something to replace magnets, and ended up in magnetics,” Boudouris said. “When [people] get a magnet, of course the first place they stick it is on the refrigerator. It’s a good place to get exposure for an advertiser.”

However, Boudouris said he began tuning in to some of the negative feedback he was receiving about using magnets to advertise, such as expense and difficulty with printing.

“That was kind of the impetus for this mission I’ve been on for the last 14 years — to develop a printer-friendly way to make magnetics.”

The company was recently named winner of the EBE HOF Innovation in Business award.

MAGNETNotes was founded in 2000, and began integrating magnetics into the printing process. In 2003, the company underwent a series of ownership changes. First, it was bought by the Seiko Corporation, which soon sold it to Cerberus Capital Management and then to Glatfelter, during which time the magnetic paper product it produced was named “MagneCote.”

In 2008, Boudouris was semi-retired, but becoming increasingly frustrated with the performance of his invention. He began negotiations to take back company ownership and was successful.

At the same time, Boudouris began fighting an aggressive form of cancer, all while the economic recession began to take its toll on the U.S., which further complicated his renewed business venture.

“They were rough years for me, but we found a way through it,” Boudouris said. “We focused on the quality of our products on the manufacturing side, which is what I had been obsessing about. In about two to three years, we were able to dramatically improve the quality of our products.”

In 2010, MAGNETNotes began concentrating efforts on magnetic enclosures and packaging, which led to a deal with Kraft for use with its gum packaging.

Now, with his cancer in remission, Boudouris is looking to expand into the automotive and medical industries with his magnetic packaging designs, as well as set up a laboratory in Toledo to focus on product development.

Whatever his future holds, Boudouris said he will maintain his business philosophy of “innovation, innovation, innovation,” which he said has been validated by his award from the EBE.

“It’s a big honor to me. It’s a nice thing to be awarded for all the hard work, so it’s greatly appreciated.”

Boudouris also said that his success would not be possible without his strong team of 11 employees.

“It’s important as the leader of my company that I also am pragmatic enough to know where I’m not good, and to fill those gaps in with people who are. I don’t try to do things that I’m not good at — it frustrates me and keeps me awake at night. I’ve got a great team of employees that supports me well, and a great set of investors as well.”

Meyer Hill Lynch is a Maumee-based information technology (IT) solutions company that specializes in business computing, computer networking, network security and IT consulting for businesses, local governments and nonprofit organizations.

“Our range of services lets us fill the gaps in a company’s IT department or serve as their sole IT company,” said managing partner Rob Shick.

The company offers its services to clients of any size or industry. In the past, it has been hired by banks, law firms, factories, the City of Toledo, Wood County, the Toledo Mud Hens and Walleye and the Toledo Zoo.

“Instead of narrowing our services into one industry, we offer a broad base of technology services and if it works for the company, regardless of their industry, we can work with them to meet their needs,” Shick said.

The staff at Meyer Hill Lynch hold a wide array of training certifications, which aids the company in its goal of providing full-time or supplemental IT solutions.

“It’s hard for companies to hire experts in everything, especially with technology changing so rapidly. We’re able to have a well-trained staff in several areas, which sets up a good model for outsourcing,” Shick said.

Meyer Hill Lynch has two new initiatives that address issues in today’s IT marketplace. The first, Total BR, gives customers a means of protecting data and restoring files almost instantly in the event of a crash. With cloud technology ineffective for the data storage needs of many businesses and investment in backup hardware costly, Total BR offers a monthly service that uses on-site backup as well as a secondary backup from Meyer Hill Lynch’s data center, resulting in uninterrupted access to data, Shick said.

The second new program is a service where the IT company essentially steps in as chief information officer for a client with a 24/7 help desk, support staff available for in-person and remote assistance, preventative maintenance and regular planning meetings.

“Small and medium businesses can’t afford to hire five or six full-time IT professionals. We can fill that role for the cost of one or two new hires.”

Shick views his company’s business excellence award from the EBE HOF as a reflection on his staff.

“We’re a quiet company not big into getting awards, but I think it’s good to recognize the hard work they’ve put in,” he said.

The second and third generations of the Toft Family. Photo courtesy Toft Dairy

Eugene Meisler said the secret behind the long legacy of his family’s business, Toft Dairy, is simple: hard work.

The Sandusky company, started 113 years ago by his grandparents, is entering its fifth generation and is the oldest operating dairy in the state of Ohio.

For its family legacy, product expansion, high-tech innovation and culture that nurtures a family-like environment, Toft Dairy was nominated for and won an Excellence in Family Business award from the EBE HOF.

“I guess it’s kind of a great honor, isn’t it?” said Meisler, president of the Sandusky company. “We feel real proud about it.”

The company buys milk from 21 local farmers and pasteurizes it at its plant, producing 18,000 gallons of milk and ice cream a day. It also offers a variety of products including cottage cheese, half and half, chip dip and drinks, including orange, grape, fruit punch, lemonade and iced tea.

Toft Dairy began in 1900. Meisler’s maternal grandparents, Christopher and Matilda Toft, delivered milk to the Sandusky area with a horse and buggy.

“They had 10-gallon cans of milk they’d bring into town and they dipped it right out of the can and sold it to the customer,” Meisler said. “It was raw milk right from the farm.”

In 1943, Meisler’s father began making ice cream in 5-gallon containers. The company now has 3,000-3,200 customers buying 51 flavors of dipped ice cream at their summer parlor, Meisler said.

The company currently employs nine family members from five generations. In 1965, Meisler and his two older brothers bought the company from their parents. In 1985, they brought in their sons and about five years ago they hired their grandsons.

They recently redesigned the ice cream containers and introduced a new flavor, Red Velvet Rush, with chunks of red velvet dough and ribbons of cream cheese.

Next year, Meisler said, they’ll bring out more new flavors, as they do every year.

“We have someone at the plant 365 days a year. They never shut the cows off,” he said. “None of the Meislers have an eight-hour day of work. We have a lot of help.”

The company has a dedicated workforce, he said, with some employees who have worked there for 40 years.

“We’re very good to our employees,” he said. “We have profit sharing, 401(k). I call it a big family.”

The dairy was nominated for the award by the University of Toledo Center for Family & Privately-Held Business because it exemplifies all the “best practices of a family business,” said director Debbe Skutch.

“They’re privately held, they have several generations and they have a sense of history and sense of legacy,” Skutch said. “[They were nominated] for the values they bring to our culture.”

With one novel on the shelves, another coming in September and a third in the works, the former Sandusky radio personality and newspaper reporter is accomplishing that.

Now living in Fort Myers, Fla., with her husband Phil, a tour boat operator, and their two young-adult children, she’s readying her second book for publication and framing her third, already set to hit the shelves in December 2014, all the while working at a book store.

She’s always had stories to tell and she said she tried a number of different approaches. Writing for young adults, she said, let her tell the stories she wants to tell.

“I was always writing young-adult (YA),” she said. “I just never knew there was a name for it. The first time I read a YA novel when (I was an) adult, I had an ‘aha moment.”

And she thinks the young-adult genre is unfairly maligned.

“You wouldn’t ask a pediatrician when he’s going to start treating ‘real’ patients,” she said. “But a young-adult writer is asked, ‘When are you going to start writing for adults?’”

Part of the problem is a perception driven by the books at the top of the young-adult bestseller lists, recently dominated by sparkly vampires dripping with an adult’s idea of teen angst.

But part of the problem, Doller said, is simply the assumption of what a book for young adults is.

“What you find on the shelf of the young-adult fiction section (of a bookstore or library) is exactly what you find on the adult shelves” in terms of subject matter, said Doller, who works for a bookstore in the Fort Myers area.

“We forget teenagers are people,” she said. “They have all the feelings adults have, and they’re learning to process them in ways adults have already learned. … the successful (young-adult) authors haven’t forgotten how that feels.”

In fact, the characters in her books tend to be young people who have had to grow up in drastic ways — and who, upon returning to a situation that by any objective standard is better than what they were in, find they have more growing up to do even as they try to recover some of the innocence of their childhood.

Travis, the hero of Doller’s first book, “Something Like Normal,” is a 19-year-old Marine on leave after returning from Afghanistan, bringing with him the nightmares of his best friend’s death in combat. He returns to an unfaithful father, a too-dutiful mother and a younger brother who has taken his car and his girlfriend — and the girl-next-door who is still paying for a stupid thing he said as a kid.

Callie, heroine of Doller’s forthcoming “Where the Stars Still Shine,” was kidnapped as a child by her mother and, after seven years on the road during which she frequently had to be the “adult” for her dysfunctional mother and was molested by one of her mother’s boyfriends, is returned as a teenager on the cusp of legal adulthood to the large, squabbling and loving family she barely remembers.

Both books end, not with happily-ever-after endings (Travis faces a second deployment to Afghanistan; Callie’s mother is in jail and the promising new boyfriend is moving away to a better job) but with the idea the characters are almost back on track — if the right decisions are made, if the right things happen, if luck goes their way.

That realism — along with research into what it’s like to be a returning veteran — resulted in praise from a not-quite-expected quarter for “Something Like Normal.” Veterans, especially young veterans and the people who help them, praise the book for its realistic portrayal of a young person going through post traumatic stress disorder.

A servicewoman identifying herself only as “Heather” wrote in January on the GoodReads website: “Though I couldn’t finish this book because it just hit too many triggers for me, I still give it a high rating because of the author’s uncanny grasp on what this less-than-1% of the population goes through in our attempts to return to ‘normal’ life.”

Doller said she heard from one veteran whose wife would not read his own memoir “because she’d lived it (what he went through), so he had his wife read ‘Something Like Normal.’”

She also heard from a teacher who was trying to reach a student who just didn’t like books. “Something Like Normal” caught the student’s interest and led to a desire for more books to read.

That connection, where readers “see themselves” in what you’ve written, is what an author wants, Doller said, and it means more to her than awards.

Not that her debut novel hasn’t received them: The Young Adult Library Services Association has placed it among its Best Books for Young Adults and Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers, according to the website for Doller’s publisher, Bloomsbury Books.

For her third book, scheduled for publication in late 2014, Doller plans to move out of what she calls her “wheelhouse” of “trauma-and-recovery” plots. Tentatively titled “Arcadia Falls,” the story centers around Arcadia Wells, a teen girl living a more-or-less normal life who agrees to go on a road trip through Florida with two good-looking tourists — but the trip goes tragically wrong.

This book, Doller said, will be more of a “psychological thriller,” something that will take her out of her “comfort zone.”

The book was supposed to be something entirely different, but the character, Arcadia “Cady” Wells, “popped into my head. She had nothing to do with the story I was working on but she would not let me go.”

Cedar Point’s newest coaster wows guests as they enter park

SANDUSKY — Cedar Point’s newest record-breaking roller coaster is the tallest and longest of its kind in the world, but company leaders and ride enthusiasts alike say perhaps the biggest wow factor GateKeeper brings is the way it transforms the park’s main entrance.

GateKeeper’s first hill climbs 170 feet before making a sharp turn and diving 164 feet at speeds of up to 67 mph. Its 4,164-foot-long track also features a record six inversions, including a “near-miss” element where riders thread through two keyhole towers above the park’s main entrance.

“I’ve always thought we should have a roller coaster right at the front gate,” said Rob Decker, corporate vice president of planning and design for Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, which operates Cedar Point. “People screaming over the front gate while people are arriving — that’s going to be a really special thing for us.”

The $30 million GateKeeper is the fifth wing coaster in the world and the third in the U.S. The term refers to a design in which riders are suspended on either side of the track.

“There’s nothing above, nothing below you. It’s just amazing,” said Kim Jent, head of the structural design department at Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M), the Swiss company that designed GateKeeper.

The first wing coaster opened in Italy in 2011, followed by three in 2012: one in the United Kingdom, one at Dollywood in Tennessee and one at Six Flags Great America in Illinois. A sixth is under construction in China. All were designed by B&M, which also designed Cedar Point’s Raptor and Mantis.

Decker said B&M CEO Walter Bolliger told him several years ago about a new prototype coaster being developed for a theme park in Italy.

“From that moment on I knew we could get it, I knew we could get it at the front gate, and we could make something spectacular,” Decker said.

“There are some coasters you want to ride once a day, some once a summer,” Ouimet said. “GateKeeper you want to get right back on.”

Fan reaction

During Cedar Point’s media day on May 9, media and coaster club members from around the world got a chance to preview GateKeeper before the park’s May 11 season opener.

Rob Burtz of Indianapolis, a member of the Great Ohio Coaster Club, said he has ridden coasters in 22 states, but GateKeeper was his first wing coaster.

“It’s different,” Burtz said. “It’s the first time I’ve been on a coaster where you’re sitting outside the track like that. It’s really interesting.”

Western New York Coaster Club members Geff Ford of Auburn, N.Y., and Bob Wheeler of Rochester, N.Y., said they liked how each seat on GateKeeper offered a different experience.

“It’s remarkable how different a ride it is from one side to the other and from the front to the back,” Ford said.

Both agreed the biggest hill was most exciting from the front left seat, but the keyhole effect is best from the right side.

Jerry Fleming of Convoy, Ohio, said he loved “the feeling of flying out in the open.”

“That is something unique,” Fleming said. “I like that they went with the diving loop drop instead of a traditional over. That’s a completely different sensation. Especially sitting in the back, it’s kind of cool seeing the train tilting one at a time going over.”

The Great Ohio Coaster Club member proposed to his wife Leslie on the Magnum XL-200 and married her on The Voyage, a wooden coaster at Holiday World in Santa Claus, Ind.

The couple said they both enjoyed the front right side of GateKeeper best.

“It felt so much faster going through the keyholes,” Leslie said. “It was like, ‘Wow, this is like a different ride all around.’”

Fellow Great Ohio Coaster Club member Jesse Rose of Cleveland said his first wing coaster experience was Wild Eagle at Dollywood, Tenn., but he liked GateKeeper better.

“This one is more intense with a better layout,” Rose said. “The only thing I like more about Wild Eagle is you’re in the woods. But with the keyholes, there’s nothing like this. And that one is standard drop. This one right off the bat is already, ‘Uh oh!’”

Cedar Point's new GateKeeper is at the front of the park on the lake where Diaster Transport used to be. Toledo Free Press Photo by James A. Molnar.

Bob Urmanic of Elyria said GateKeeper was a great ride, but can’t compare to his favorite coaster, Millennium Force, which he rode 105 times in one day last May. Urmanic said GateKeeper would be his fourth favorite at the park and he hopes it will draw visitors away from his top three, Millennium Force, Top Thrill Dragster and Raptor, cutting down on wait times there.

Richie Anderson of Akron, a member of the American Coaster Enthusiasts and former Cedar Point seasonal employee, said he still likes Magnum XL-200 more than GateKeeper, but he loves what the new coaster adds to the front of the park.

“It’s a fantastic first impression for the park,” Anderson said. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Transformation

In his 40 seasons at Cedar Point, Vice President and General Manager John Hildebrandt has witnessed the unveilings of many new roller coasters, starting with Corkscrew in 1976.

“It’s a great list and one we’re very proud of at Cedar Point, but the excitement surrounding GateKeeper exceeds any of these roller coasters,” Hildebrandt said. “This one is very special.”

GateKeeper is Cedar Point’s 16th coaster and its first new one since Maverick in 2007.

“It’s an incredible experience,” Hildebrandt said. “You really are flying. It does feel weird, I think, to look down and not see a track. It’s over there to your left or your right depending on where you’re sitting.”

The track rails are filled with sand to keep noise down, Jent said. Several seats are designed with “comfort fit” seats for riders of wider girths, Decker said.

Many coaster enthusiasts said they liked GateKeeper’s unique harness, which fits like a vest, holding riders snug and keeping their heads away from the shoulder harness.

Workers broke ground for GateKeeper in October and placed the final piece of track Feb. 28.

The $30 million project involved more than 100 workers, primarily from Ohio companies, including A.A. Boos & Sons of Oregon, Firelands Electric Cooperative of Sandusky and S.A. Comunale in Fremont. Clermont Steel Fabricators of Batavia in southern Ohio built the steel pieces and Cincinnati firm Tony Ravagnani Architects designed the platform station.

Disaster Transport and Space Spiral were demolished last summer to make room for the new coaster.

Dinosaurs Alive!, featuring 50 interactive life-size animatronic dinosaurs, will return for a second season at Cedar Point. Toledo Free Press Photo By James A. Molnar.

“We take a look at ridership and people vote with their feet,” Decker said. “I liked Disaster Transport. I think it played a really strong role for younger people before they get onto the bigger coasters, so we have plans to backfill and do a better experience for that height range and just make it a better experience overall.”

During his remarks on May 9, Ouimet hinted about more upcoming changes at Cedar Point, saying cryptically that Decker had been given another challenge.

“More to follow” was all he would say, despite groans and pleas from the gathered coaster enthusiasts. When asked if a new kids’ ride was what Ouimet had been hinting about, Decker just smiled.

Ralphie May plays Humane Society benefit in Sandusky

Comedian Ralphie May is coming to Northwest Ohio and he’s not pulling any punches. In fact, he may be giving a few unsuspecting folks some gut-wrenching shots of material that he promises will be politically incorrect, racially insensitive and culturally controversial. May makes his Sandusky debut May 15 at the Sandusky State Theatre. The event is a fundraiser for the Huron County Humane Society and the Humane Society of Erie County.

May first became a national name when he appeared on NBC-TV’s “Last Comic Standing” in 2003. From there, he has seemingly toured non-stop, released DVDs and grown his fans into the millions. Toledo Free Press Star talked to the funnyman about Sandusky, his pot bust in Guam last fall and his growing popularity.

RM: I’m doing two different shows entirely. I’m doing a real controversial one for Showtime and another special for Comedy Central called “Ralphie May 4-20.” The Comedy Central show will be taped in October. The Showtime special will tape a month later.

Star: Is it hard to have two acts at once?

RM: I don’t think so. I just tell stories about my life. My life is interesting. It should be a reality show. It really is pretty incredible. Like two weeks ago, Tony Bennett comes to one of my shows, stays the whole two-and-a-half hours, gives me a standing ovation and then leaves and asks for a finger-banging shirt. It’s hilarious to me. I have Bennett’s approval. I mean, if I wasn’t so much Irish I’d think I was made like Henry Hill.

Star: Which show is Sandusky going to get?

RM: Probably the Comedy Central show because it’s a benefit for the Humane Society. So you kind of have to talk about the time where you loved dogs so much that even though you had weed on you that you didn’t know you had, you walked 60 feet out of your way to go pet a drug dog. You pretty much have to talk about that, right? I’m also going to talk about me witnessing the miracle on the Hudson.

Star: So you saw Captain “Sully” Sullenberger’s greatest moment?

RM: Well, see, that’s one perspective. My perspective is that I almost got killed by an old guy who couldn’t miss some birds. I was only 500 yards away from where the plane crashed. Maybe I’m crazy, but geographically he barely missed me. It’s like I got shot at and grazed; that’s how close it was. And so it’s all a matter of perspective. I tell people I felt sorry for those survivors. Like not for nothing, they fly for four minutes, think they’re going to die for three, they crash into the dirty, frozen Hudson River. Great, now you got AIDS because there’s big chunky AIDS floating in that dirty Hudson. And then boom, they take you to North Hudson Hospital in New Jersey to check you out. It’s like after all that crap, you have to go to Jersey, too. I mean, when will it ever end for these people? I feel bad for them. If that happens to me, I’m telling them to throw me back in the river, son. They have pills for AIDS, but there ain’t no pill for New Jersey.

Star: As for the benefit, what makes you a good host for an animal fundraiser?

RM: I draw big numbers for them, I’ll sell some tickets for them and that’s what they really want. Last year we gave over $25,000 to various animal shelters around the country and the Humane Society. It’s something that’s close to my heart because both of my dogs are rescues. They’re the greatest animals in the world, and I think to stand idly by and not protect the weakest of us is kind of something that honestly we should do more of. We should actively help and fight for animals and stuff like that because we’re the stewards of them.

Star: You’re not going to soften up your set even though you’re playing a fundraiser.

RM: Yeah, I’m not going to soften it at all. It’s not what I do. When they hired me they knew I would probably be controversial. That’s great. I like to give people the whole show. Even though I’ve never been to Sandusky, I’ve been to Toledo and all over Northwest Ohio. I have to be honest, everyone up there needs to laugh. You’re at the end of a winter that was brutal this year. It was just horrific and what a better time to laugh to know that your money stays there in town — in the two counties — and protects animals that are there for the adoption. If I can help out, it’s my pleasure. It was just something I think I need to do. I need to help people out.

Ralphie May headlines the event to benefit the Huron County Humane Society and the Humane Society of Erie County at 7 p.m. May 15 at the Sandusky State Theatre, 107 Columbus Ave., Sandusky. Tickets are $27 to $100. Call (419) 626-1950 or (877) 626-1950, or visit sanduskystate.com.